Spelling Bee Success: Preparation and a Perfect Word List

The Scripps National Spelling Bee has a dedicated word selection panel that meticulously chooses challenging words for each round of competition.
The panel is composed of former champions who carefully vet each word to ensure fairness and difficulty that will push the competitors to achieve their best.
Over time, the panel has revised the competition format to ultimately determine a single champion speller.
The panelists scrutinize every aspect of each word, from its definition and part of speech to its pronunciation, roots, and spelling.
The panel's ultimate goal is creating a list that challenges the champion spellers but does not embarrass them.